Padrón
What it is
A small green Galician pepper (pemento de Padrón) from Padrón, Spain — wrinkled, thin-skinned, mostly mild, with the famous lottery: roughly one in a dozen is fiery.
How it's made
Harvested small and green; eaten fresh-blistered. Left longer/riper, more pods turn hot.
Flavor profile
Mild, grassy, and nutty when blistered, with the occasional pod delivering a sharp surprise — "os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non."
Culinary uses
Flash-fried in olive oil and finished with flaky salt as a classic Spanish tapa. Pairs with olive oil, sea salt, and Albariño wine.
Regional variations
Galicia's Herbón-grown padróns carry protected-origin status; the Japanese shishito is the close Asian analog.
Cultural & historical context
A Galician tapa icon — and a reminder that chiles entered Iberia first, brought back by returning monks said to have grown them at a Padrón monastery.
Reference notes
Tags: `fresh`, `mild`, `Spanish`, `Galician`, `C. annuum`, `tapas`, `blistering`, `DO-protected`. Related: shishito, Espelette. Substitute shishito. Sourcing: specialty and farmers' markets in season (summer). Link → Shishito, Tapas, Galician Cuisine.